Privacy and data protection

Australia government to chart 2020 cyber security strategy

Australia’s home affairs ministry has released a discussion paper to seek views from all segments of society on the country’s next cyber security blueprint Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Use blockchain for integrity and immutability checks

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Eoin Keary

Singapore’s SecureAge eyes US market

The Singapore-based supplier of encryption and anti-malware tools has set up a new office in Greater Washington, DC as the next logical step in its global expansion plan Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Police use of controversial facial recognition technology deemed lawful

In a landmark hearing, the High Court has ruled that police use of automatic facial recognition technology is lawful, but that it still infringes on privacy rights Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton , Senior reporter

Security pros doubt officials can enact effective security laws

Elected officials cannot be trusted to enact effective cyber security legislation and social media firms should be subject to strict privacy regulation, according to most information security professionals in a survey Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tide Foundation aims to boost password security

While passwordless security remains just out of reach, a non-profit organisation has developed a mechanism that it says makes passwords exponentially more difficult to crack Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Latest Facebook security lapse exposes millions to account hijack

18 million UK users are among the more than 400 million at risk of account hijacking after phone numbers linked to their Facebook accounts were found in an open online database Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Blockchain is not for everyone, so look carefully before you leap

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Check Point warns of Android phishing attacks

Researchers at Check Point have identified a security flaw in Android-based smartphones that exposes vulnerable users to phishing attacks Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Blockchain utility depends on business type and cost

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

TrickBot Trojan switches to stealthy Ostap downloader

Operators of the TrickBot banking Trojan have switched to a new downloader to evade detection and analysis for a high-volume malicious spam campaign targeting business, researchers warn Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals tap into web social engineering toolkit 

Security researchers have discovered a web social engineering toolkit that enables cyber criminals to create fake update notification campaigns  Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Risk mitigation is key to blockchain becoming mainstream

What are the best and most effective ways information security professionals can use blockchain technology? Continue Reading

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• Mike Yeomans, Information Security Forum

UK organisations join quantum comms pilot

Four UK companies are taking part in a pilot project to build the most secure communication infrastructure in Europe Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CISOs turn to AI, detection, response and education

Information security leaders are looking to artificial intelligence, better detection and response capabilities and user education in the face of cyber threats, but need more budget, a study shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to mitigate IoT security risks to tap business benefits

Security concerns are preventing many businesses from adopting IoT-based technologies, but with a bit of planning, the business benefits can be realised by mitigating the risk Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch regulator reveals potential Microsoft privacy breach

Netherlands privacy watchdog has revealed potential breaches while testing Microsoft software changes Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Targeted cyber attacks, including ransomware, on the rise

Governments and healthcare institutions are prime targets of ransomware operators, a report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mitigating social engineering attacks with MFA

The growing frequency of social engineering attacks highlights the increasing need for organisations to take steps to mitigate the effects of phishing Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Ransomware has evolved into a serious enterprise threat

Ransomware has seen a resurgence since the start of 2019, with cyber criminals changing code and tactics to target enterprises and local authorities for higher ransom payments, McAfee researchers warn Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Majority of organisations struggling with cloud security

The majority of organisations find securing the cloud difficult and more than a quarter feel the shared security responsibility model is unclear, according to a survey of information security professionals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Human rights group challenges police over counter-terrorism powers

Bringing into question the effectiveness of terror laws, a report by human rights group Cage highlights poor conviction rates and the discriminatory application of police powers at the border Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security pros reiterate warning against encryption backdoors

The majority of security professionals believe countries with government-mandated encryption backdoors are more susceptible to nation-state cyber attacks Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

A helping hand from the Nordics in the eye of the GDPR storm

Nordic IT companies are well suited to supporting enterprises in their data protection projects, even though openness is more natural to them Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Tech firms join forces to boost cloud security

Top tech firms are to collaborate on open source technologies, tools, frameworks and standards that accelerate the adoption of confidential computing to boost security in cloud and edge computing Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attackers exploiting poor cloud security

More than a third of organisations report a cyber attack on the cloud environment due to a lack of basic cloud security hygiene Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR, AI intensify privacy and data protection compliance demands

This guide covers the challenges data management teams face on data protection and privacy, particularly with the rise of GDPR and similar laws and the growing use of AI tools. Continue Reading

By

• Craig Stedman, Industry Editor

Healthcare faces triple cyber threat, says FireEye

Criminal and nation-state cyber attackers are increasingly targeting the healthcare industry to steal data, carry out espionage and cause disruption, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Human error a big risk to ICS cyber security, study shows

Despite the rise in automation, industrial processes are at risk due to human error, a report on industrial cyber security reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Huawei to US: Ban violates free market principles

Huawei has hit back at the US government’s latest moves to restrict its activities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK financial account takeovers up, report warns

Commercial cyber criminal services are helping to drive up the number of account takeovers, a fraud report for the first half of the year shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Q2 shows ransomware proliferation, Kaspersky warns

Ransomware modifications have more than doubled in the past year, the number of ransomware families has grown, and the number of attempted infections is up nearly 50% Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US extends temporary stay on Huawei ban

American network operators given extra wiggle room to wean themselves off Huawei’s hardware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Passwordless enterprise already possible, says RSA

The passwordless enterprise is getting easier to attain as the security industry gears up to support a passwordless future, says RSA’s identity chief Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New approach to risk management needed, says Gartner

Most third-party risks are discovered after the initial due diligence period, Gartner study shows, highlighting the need for a new approach to risk management and the importance of effective access controls Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO to probe facial recognition at King’s Cross

UK privacy watchdog is to investigate whether the use of live facial recognition technology at King’s Cross complies with data protection laws Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia needs to get digital identity right

A top Ping Identity executive urges Australia to put more focus on digital identity management following the government’s efforts to lay the groundwork for an open banking regime Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

2019 set to be another record year for data breaches

The number of data breach incidents continues to rise and looks set to reach another record this year, with the business sector first in the firing line, according to a mid-year breach report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Formjacking dominates web-related data breaches

Formjacking has become one of the most popular data stealing methods, say researchers, who urge commercial websites to review all third-party coding practices without delay Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Melbourne researchers uncover privacy lapses in transport dataset

A team of University of Melbourne researchers has been able to re-identify individuals from a public transport dataset, raising serious privacy, safety and security issues Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Publicly accessible biometric database highlights key failings

The discovery of a publicly accessible database of biometric information highlights failings by the supplier, the need for supply chain security, and the challenges of using biometric data Continue Reading

DCMS funding aims to increase diversity in cyber sector

A funding round has been announced as part of the Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund (CSIIF) with aims of encouraging more diverse talent into the UK’s cyber security sector Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

GDPR faces growing pains across Europe

The General Data Protection Regulation is over a year old now, but it faces challenges across Europe where compliance has taken place at different speeds Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Cyber criminal collaboration intensifies

The level of cooperation between high-profile cyber threat groups has shifted up a gear, enabling a higher level of automation and making attribution more difficult, research shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital domain identified as major security threat by Norway’s intelligence service

Norway's intelligence services has revealed the extent of the threat posed to the country by cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

British Airways e-ticketing system could expose passenger details

British Airways has not addressed a potential leak of passenger details despite warnings from security researchers, but says it is aware of the issue and is taking action Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Data architects should be key allies of infosec pros

How can infosec pros and data architects work together to support business goals and achieve a good level of cyber security? Continue Reading

By

• Eoin Keary

Breach cost $53m in Q2, says Desjardins

Credit union cooperative Desjardins reveals that a data breach in June cost the company $53m in the second quarter, but that could be just the start, warn industry commentators Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BACnet IoT building automation devices vulnerable to attack

A security researcher has revealed that internet-connected building automating devices using the BACnet communication protocol are vulnerable to cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Phishing top security threat to business

A new Telefónica security service for business shows that phishing is the most-blocked threat and smaller businesses are a popular attack target in the first two months of deployment Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital transformation driving security rethink

Organisations are focusing on internet of things and cloud in developing cyber defence systems, study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Balancing data accessibility with security controls

How can infosec pros and data architects work together to support business goals and achieve a good level of cyber security? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

F-Secure warns of F5 Big IP-related security issue

F-Secure has discovered security issues relating to an F5 device that it says could potentially turn hundreds of thousands of load balancers into beachheads for cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCC Group warns of security risks of leading printers

Researchers uncover more than 35 vulnerabilities in six leading enterprise printers, many of which could allow access to corporate networks, underlining the need to counter security risks of embedded systems Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Whistleblowers: James Glenn’s battle with Cisco opens new front on cyber security

James Glenn, a 42-year-old security specialist, fought a 10-year legal battle with Cisco after blowing the whistle on serious security flaws. He lost his job, but has no regrets Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Ransomware a continued threat to business, report warns

Businesses are increasingly becoming the most popular targets for ransomware, which remains a top cyber threat around the world, especially in the US, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals hijacking legitimate website comms

Criminals are exploiting firms’ use of online feedback methods to distribute spam and phishing emails, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Security is a business, not an IT function

How can infosec pros and data architects work together to support business goals and achieve a good level of cyber security? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

CW Benelux: Dutch academic hunts the personality behind the hacker

Rutger Leukfeldt, senior researcher on cyber crime at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, is working to help organisations understand the personalities behind criminal hackers. Also in this issue, read about research that shows over half of Dutch organisations admit their knowledge of blockchain is substandard. We also feature an article about ABN Amro’s work with researchers to explore how quantum computing can be used to secure online banking. Continue Reading

Southeast Asian ‘white hat’ urges more countries to sign the Paris Call

A renowned ethical hacker in Malaysia has called for more nations to support the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace to counter the threat of cyber warfare Continue Reading

By

• Avanti Kumar

Security Think Tank: Dialogue between data architects and security leads is essential

How can infosec pros and data architects work together to support business goals and achieve a good level of cyber security? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Shared files in the cloud are a top ransomware target

Vectra 2019 Spotlight report shows recent ransomware attacks cast a wider net to ensnare cloud, datacentre and enterprise infrastructures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FireEye identifies dual nature Chinese cyber threat group

Security researchers have identified a China-based cyber threat group engaged in state-spored espionage in parallel with cyber criminal activities targeting multiple industries worldwide Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Industry collaborates to patch SwapGS CPU vulnerability

Newly disclosed SwapGS vulnerability in modern processors has been patched in Windows, Linux and ChromeOS, underlining the importance of keeping systems up to date Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

African bank foils suspected North Korean cyber attack

An African bank is among the financial institutions to be targeted by North Korea’s multi-billion dollar cyber theft campaign to support its weapons programmes Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Using tech to boost staff morale

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the emerging technologies being used to improve employee experience and raise staff loyalty and motivation. The CIO of the Football Association explains how IT is changing the way the national game is administered. And we examine the growing role of AI in preventing cyber attacks. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

ICO joins international call for transparency around Facebook’s Libra currency

Data protection regulators from around the world have signed a statement raising privacy concerns about Libra Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Close interdisciplinary ties are key to security integration

How can infosec professionals and data architects work together to support business goals and achieve a good level of cyber security? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Security Think Tank: CIA at heart of infosec-data architect partnership

How can infosec professionals and data architects work together to support business goals and achieve a good level of cyber security? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Most UK university applicants at risk of email fraud

The majority of hundreds of thousands of applicants to UK universities are at risk of email fraud before and after A-level results day, due to a failure to implement full Dmarc protection, a study reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Developing innovative security analytics approaches in the digital age

With security threats growing in scale and complexity, security analytics provide a way for IT teams to stay one step ahead of cyber attackers. The challenge is to ensure this technology continues to be effective in the face of new security challenges Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Would you trust a criminal with your cyber security?

Several industry sectors have set a good example by hiring ex-offenders, and the cyber security industry could benefit in similar ways by looking at members of the hacker community Continue Reading

By

• Ian Glover, CREST

Lack of resources top challenge to IT security

A lack of resources is the top challenge to information security professionals, followed by a lack of experience and skills, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government continues probe of UK cyber security labour market

The government has announced a second phase of research to help understand the UK's cyber security labour market Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook asked to explain discrepancies in evidence over Cambridge Analytica

DCMS Committee chairman asks Facebook to clarify what it knew about Cambridge Analytica’s use of its data and when Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton and Bill Goodwin

GDPR taken more seriously after first fines

Security professionals believe the first big fines under the General Data Protection Regulation will get organisations to take the new rules more seriously, but will not necessarily change policies or practices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Leaked Sephora databases peddled on dark web

Cyber security firm finds two databases likely to be related to the Sephora data breach that affected online customers in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Financial services top cyber attack target

Financial services are among the most attractive targets for cyber attackers, security researchers reveal, with phishing and credential stuffing among the top threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian firms grappling with “train-smash” of security legislation

While businesses should avoid going into checkbox compliance mode, the constant flux of regulations on cyber security and privacy has led to calls for more legislative coherence from regulators Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Huawei ‘galvanised’ by Trump ban

Huawei has found itself caught in the crossfire of the US president’s trade war with China, but chairman Liang Hua says the firm is rising to the challenge Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Former AWS engineer arrested for Capital One data breach

Capital One announces data breach affecting more than 100 million customers as US federal authorities arrest a Seattle woman formerly employed by Amazon Web Services Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO selects first innovation Sandbox participants

UK privacy watchdog has chosen the first firms to take part in its Sandbox programme aimed at developing innovative and beneficial products and services that are privacy compliant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Visa card vulnerabilities enable contactless limit bypass

Security researchers have discovered vulnerabilities on Visa cards that could be exploited to bypass contactless payment limits and result in huge losses Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

WannaCry hero Marcus Hutchins spared jail

British security researcher who helped halt the global WannaCry ransomware attack that hit the NHS in 2017 has avoided jail in the US for creating other malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber kill chain is outdated, says Carbon Black

The chief cyber security officer of Carbon Black calls for a new cognitive paradigm to fend off cyber adversaries that are now attacking in cycles Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Email security as important as ever, report shows

Cyber security professionals need to keep up to date with email-borne threats because they continue to evolve and have a major impact on business, research reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

86 million reasons to support No More Ransom

Anti-ransomware cross-industry initiative says it has prevented more than £86m in ransom payments as it marks its third anniversary, which coincides with a resurgence in ransomware in many parts of the world Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

F-Secure talks up threat-hunting to stay ahead of cyber attacks in APAC

Cyber security firm calls for organisations to double up on threat-hunting now that nearly all attack and reconnaissance traffic is automated Continue Reading

By

• Avanti Kumar

Mobile banking malware surges in 2019

Mobile banking malware surged in the first half of the year, email scams geared up and attacks on cloud increased, while illicit cryptocurrency miners declined, report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook shrugs off $5bn fine, reports strong quarter

Investors responded positively after social networking firm reported better-than-expected second-quarter results after budgeting for FTC fine, but the company faces a further antitrust investigation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Zuckerberg responsible for Facebook privacy compliance after $5bn FTC fine

Facebook pays record fine after breaching users’ privacy, following settlements with Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin and Sebastian Klovig Skelton

Controversial ‘immigration exemption’ used in 60% of cases

The UK government has used a controversial GDPR opt-out in response to the majority of its immigration-related data requests since the start of 2019, the High Court has heard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Phishing attack highlights cyber security need at universities

UK university cyber security is once again under the spotlight after Lancaster University reveals that it has been targeted by a phishing attack used to send fake invoices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Almost a third of European firms still not compliant with GDPR

Almost a third of European businesses admit they are still not compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, but there are encouraging signs of increased maturity in data protection, with the new rules driving better, business-supporting practices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Norsk Hydro cyber attack could cost up to $75m

March 2019 ransomware attack could cost Norwegian aluminium giant up to $75m in the first half of the year, according to latest estimates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data breach costs on the rise, IBM study shows

Data breach costs have risen in the past decade, and the financial impact can be felt for years. Breaches posing a growing risk for small businesses, a study shows, underlining the importance of incident response Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

High Court to hear challenge to immigration exemption in DPA

The High Court is to hear a challenge by two human rights groups of a controversial clause in new UK data protection legislation they say is in conflict with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and undermines the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How Apollo 11 influenced modern computing

In this week’s Computer Weekly, on the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings we look at the influence Apollo 11 had on modern hardware and software. Our latest buyer’s guide examines data protection. And we find out how retailers with physical stores are using technology to respond to the rise of online shopping. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Government delays final decision on Huawei

Culture secretary says he cannot yet make specific decisions about Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s telecoms and mobile networks due to a lack of clarity from the US, effectively green-lighting its use Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Analytics and GDPR compliance: How to achieve it

Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, looks at technologies such as pseudonymisation that can help organisations stay GDPR-compliant while gaining value from analytics on customer data Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor